Abeam goodeich



(No Medal.) A. GOODRIOH.

v FREIGHT GAR. 7 No. 288,792. Patented- Nov. 20, 1883-.

Ni. .x b L wlmasszs n INVENTCR ATTORNEYS Un'irnn S'rn'rns ABBA GOODRICH, OF AUBURN, NEW YORK.

FREIGHT-CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 288,792, dated November 20,1883.

Application filed November E, 1882.

ence marked thereon.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a representation of this invention in alongitudinal section. Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the car. Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are details showing the top and bottom fastenings of the inclined supports, and the end of the slide-stop, which is locked.

The object of this invention is to provide a level-floor freight-car which is readily convertible into a hopper-bottom grain-car; and the invention consists in the construction and novel arrangement of parts, all as hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, the letter A designates the end walls, and B the side walls, of a car constructed in ordinary freight-car form. The bottom framing of the car consists of cross-sills C and longitudinal floor-beams D, supported thereby.

E represents the hopper-base, which is built under the middle portion of the bottom frame,

the cross-sills and longitudinal beams extending through the inclinedwalls F of the hopperbase, which are supported by the inclined trussbars G, the npp er ends of which arefirmly bolted to said sills and beams If necessary, these truss-bars may extend the entire length and width of the car, respectively, and they are designed to afford adequate support to the hop I per-base, which sustains a greater proportion of the load than the ends, in carrying grain. The walls of the hopper'base converge to an opening, H, throughwhich the grain is discharged, and said opening is provided with a slide-stop, K, which may be secured by means of a pin and common car-lock, so as to prevent the removal of the slide-stop, except when it is duly authorized. From each end of the car to the adjacent end of the hopper-base the floor-secthe car.

as shown in the drawings.

(No model.)

tions L of the car are laid permanently on the floor-beams. The remainder of the flooring covering the hopper-base,when the car is to be used as an ordinary freight-car, consists of hinged end sections, M, and hinged side sections N. In this arrangement the side sections N are hinged at the sides of the middle portion of the car, and are sufficiently broad to meet edge to edge, when laid down on the floor-beams, to form the middle portion of the flooring. The end sections, M, are hinged to the permanent sections L, and when laid down on the floor-beams extend to the middle sections N, completing the flooring and covering the hopper-base.

In some constructions the end sections may be made sufficiently large to meet at the middle of the car when laid down; but the construction first described is deemed preferable.

In order to open the hopper-base and complete the hopper form of the interior of the car, the hinged end sections are folded back toward the end walls of the car, the removable supports 1? having first been put in position; These supports consist, usually, of inclined barshaving pins or studs a at their lower ends, designed to engage bearings in the permanent portions L of the flooring, and catches b at their outer ends, engaging bearings c on the end walls of By these supports the hinged sections M are held up in inclined position, and form the,upper portions of the hopper-walls. The middle hinged sections are thrown up laterally against the vertical edges of the dooropenings R, closing the lower portions thereof, In this position these middle sections N are fastened by staples and pins, or other common fastenings, and form portions of the side walls of the hoppercar.

When the hinged end sections, M, are not sufficiently long to extend to the end walls of the car, when laid back on the inclined supports P, complementarysections S are provid ed,which are hinged to the end walls, and are extended on the upper portions of said supports to meet the floor-sections N, completing the hopper-walls at the ends of the car. When the supports are removed, these complementary sections will hang vertically against the end walls, occupying little room, and presenting no obstruction to the loading of the car with ordinary freight.

An ordinary car-body has been provided 5 with a central hopper at its bottom, and boards or wings hinged to the body, so that they may be turned down to form continuations of the bottom hopper and convert the car into one largehopper, and with doors to cover the bottom IO hopper when the car is used for merchandise.

have also been provided with sliding side boards to close the crevices at their sides which occur between the leaves and the side walls of the car. I therefore claim neither of these 25 constructions,- broadly.

Having described this invention,wh at I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination, with the level sills and floor-beams of a car, of the hopper-bottom F, 30 truss-braces G, hinged floor-sections M and N, complementary hopper sections S, and removable hopper-section supports I, all adapted to operate substantially as and for thepurposes specified. 35

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses. I, I

ABRAM GOODRIGH.

Witnesses:

J OSEPH G. ANDERSON, J All/[ES T. CARSON. 

